12-year-olds carrying knives in UK's most popular holiday hotspots as boy says he 'taped ten-inch blade to his hip'

12 August 2024, 06:36

The cost of living in cities could be driving up knife crime in seaside towns as people vacate London, police have said, with one boy admitting he taped a ten-inch blade to his hip.

Knife crime on the South Coast is increasing. Figures published by the Office National Statistics last month show the area is one of the top hotspots for knife crime behind London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Over 3,500 serious knife crime offences were recorded in the counties of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and Dorset in the 12 months to March 2024 - a 20 percent increase from 10 years ago.

In Sussex - home to an array of popular holiday destinations for UK travellers and those from Europe - including Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings - knife crime has increased by 12 percent in the past year alone.

An Eastbourne teenager told LBC he has carried a knife since he entered secondary school- describing it as the “norm now”.

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Joe, which is not his real name but is being used to protect his identity, said: “I was about 12 or 13 - I had a lot problems so I thought I’d carry a knife to keep myself protected. First week of carrying it I thought I was rock solid. I thought no one could touch me.

“I carried it on my hip - it was about 10 inches, the handle was taped up. It was quite big - could have done a lot of damage."

Joe said he had seen his friends stabbed - taking to seafronts and town centres in Sussex with machetes.

“People are getting stabbed all the time now down here. I was with one guy once and it was his best mate who stabbed him.

“We were walking along and his mate comes round the corner shouting at him, pulls out a knife - a machete, and just stabs him in the hand and cut his leg as well.

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“It’s worrying because you could go to town with your mates and you could get caught in the crossfire. They could mistake you for someone else, get a serious injury or you could end up dead. It is scary.

“People just think it’s just in the cities where this is happening but places like Eastbourne and Hastings - it’s got really bad.”

Detective Chief Inspector for Sussex Police Simon Yates, the force's lead for serious violence and knife crime, said he believes the cost of living is having an impact on knives being used in seaside towns.

“We have seen the biggest increase of the youngest generation carrying knives this year," he said.

“You could get double the size of your house or half your mortgage by moving out of London to East Sussex for example.

“That’s definitely having an impact - people moving out of cities from environments where they may have seen more violence or knife crime and that kind of trend following now.”

Sussex Police said the force are stepping up with extra patrols over the summer months, and have a dedicated team which are targeting knife crime hotspots.

Carl Scott, a gang member turned youth worker in Hastings, has been helping young people move away from carrying knives on the south coast.

He said there was a trend pushed by social media of young people taking knives into seaside town centres and on seafronts.

“I hear about continually this all the time. There’s sites that publicly post videos with kids being stabbed or being held up with knives.

“It’s getting really bad and I’m concerned. There’s a lot of young people I see that if they continue they’ll end up dead and it will send a wrecking ball throughout the whole community.

"You have got a lot of people from bigger cities who are getting properties or families are uprooting and coming to seaside towns and and especially if their children are involved crime and carrying knives, that’s coming with them."

In Dorset, 306 serious knife offences were recorded in the past 12 months to March 2024 with many concentrated in the popular seaside resort Bournemouth.

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Labour MP for Bournemouth East Tom Hayes said his town had a "knife crime problem".

"I’ve sat with people as young as 13,14,15 who have told me they take a knife out with them if they’re going into the centre of Bournemouth.

"We’ve seen too many families who’ve lost loved ones - I’ve sat with too many people who are grieving or wondering why it is that the people they care most about have been stabbed.

"Labour’s programme to set up youth hubs supported by youth workers is going to be so critical - it’s about giving younger people a place to go."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We know more must be done to tackle knife crime, which devastates lives. That is why this government is committed to halving knife crime over the next decade.

"We are ensuring young people who are at risk of being drawn into knife crime are receiving the support they need to prevent them committing crimes; while bringing in new and stronger laws to crackdown on the sales of dangerous knives and ensure those who are caught in the possession of a knife face the full force of the law.”

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "Since April we have had dedicated Hotspot Policing Teams which have targeted the worst affected areas. This includes additional funding from the Home Office to divert young people into activities and schemes across the county.

Hotspot Policing Teams have helped identify 34 additional offences of possession of knives and weapons. All weapons will have been seized and taken off the streets. Officers also completed additional knife sweeps and searches during the Operation Sceptre week of action.”

Chief Inspector Jim Loader, Force lead for Serious Violence and knife crime, added: “Violence reduction is a priority for Sussex Police all year round, but sadly we do often see peaks in demand during the warmer months and holiday periods.

“This is a trend seen nationally and there are well-prepared plans in place to respond to additional activity.

“We have a dedicated Hotspot Policing team which has completed over 5,000 hours of patrols hotspot areas to tackle violence and anti-social behaviour (ASB) since April, working within communities, deterring offenders and engaging with young people.

“Targeted action has already seen anti-social behaviour fall by 17% in these areas since April.

“This hotspot team will also be coordinating a number of engagement events alongside our partners in town centres over the summer period.”